Equalities

Equalities

Equalities is a topic that is very important for dietitians who are all different and can all be affected by discrimination based on one of the protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act 2010, either due to treatment the dietitian is receiving or how the dietitian is treating others.

The Equality Act

The BDA has produced for dietitians and Trade Union Representatives guidance on the Equality Act 2010 which is the legislation that protects dietitians in the workplace from discrimination or unfair treatment due to their Age, Race, Disability, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Religion or Philosophical Belief, Cast, Gender Reassignment, Marriage and Civil Partnership and Pregnancy and Maternity.

The guidance explains how the legislation can be breached and gives guidance to dietitians how they should consider their interactions in the workplace and society so as to avoid breaking the Equality Act 2010.

Religion

Although Religion is referred to in the guidance on the Equality Act 2010 it in itself can be a sensitive and difficult topic in the workplace so separate guidance for dietitians and Trade Union Representatives on Religion and Philosophical Beliefs has been produced giving some areas that will be of specific interest for Dietetians and Dietetic Managers.

Reforming the Gender Recognition Act

The Gender Recognition Act 2004 enables trans people to change the sex on their birth certificate. The 2015 - 2016 Women and Equalities Committee Transgender Equality Inquiry, to which many other unions, organisations and individuals gave evidence, recommended that ‘[w]ithin the current Parliament, the Government must bring forward proposals to update the Gender Recognition Act, in line with the principles of gender self-declaration that have been developed in other jurisdictions. In place of the present medicalised, quasi-judicial application process, an administrative process must be developed, centered on the wishes of the individual applicant, rather than on intensive analysis by doctors and lawyers.’

The BDA strongly supports the Inquiry’s recommendations on reforming the Gender Recognition Act and welcomed an announcement last summer that the Westminster government would consult on reform along these lines. The consultation is yet to commence, though a similar consultation by the Scottish government closed on the 1st March 2018.

BDA Virtual Equality Networks

BDA Trade Union Equalities Strategy

As a modern and progressive trade union and professional association it is vital that we have a public equalities statement along-side a framework the implementation of a positive and practical work strategy.